美国科学60秒 SSS 2012-12-10_在线英语听力室_免费在线英语听力学习网站

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Porcupines sport some 30,000 quills³, which easily penetrate⁴ flesh—and then stay stuck in it. Now, scientists have analyzed⁵ the shape of individual quills to discover what makes them so effective—and how we can harness their power for medical devices. The study is in the Proceedings⁶ of the National Academy of Sciences.

The black tip of each quill² features backward-facing barbs⁷. These barbs are tiny: a row of two hundred of them would be short of an inch long. The barbs help a quill penetrate flesh more easily than a hypodermic needle of about the same diameter, and using only half the force required to push a barb-free quill through tissue. Once the quill is in, the barbs then greatly increase what force would be needed to pull it back out again.

The researchers think understanding porcupine¹ quill properties can help them make less painful needles, because of the lower force needed for penetration⁸. Also stickier adhesives⁹, because of the greater force needed for removal. And the study reminds us that you really, really don't want to mess with a porcupine.

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1 porcupine
n.豪猪，箭猪
参考例句：
A porcupine is covered with prickles.箭猪身上长满了刺。 There is a philosophy parable,call philosophy of porcupine.有一个哲学寓言，叫豪猪的哲学。

2 quill
n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶
参考例句：
He wrote with a quill.他用羽毛笔写字。 She dipped a quill in ink,and then began to write.她将羽毛笔在墨水里蘸了一下，随后开始书写。

3 quills
n.（刺猬或豪猪的）刺( quill的名词复数 )；羽毛管；翮；纡管
参考例句：
Quills were the chief writing implement from the 6th century AD until the advent of steel pens in the mid 19th century. 从公元6世纪到19世纪中期钢笔出现以前，羽毛笔是主要的书写工具。来自《简明英汉词典》 Defensive quills dot the backs of these troublesome creatures. 防御性的刺长在这些讨人厌的生物背上。来自互联网

4 penetrate
v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解
参考例句：
Western ideas penetrate slowly through the East.西方观念逐渐传入东方。 The sunshine could not penetrate where the trees were thickest.阳光不能透入树木最浓密的地方。

5 analyzed
v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析
参考例句：
The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。来自《简明英汉词典》 The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。来自《简明英汉词典》

6 proceedings
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。 to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

7 barbs
n.（箭头、鱼钩等的）倒钩( barb的名词复数 )；带刺的话；毕露的锋芒；钩状毛
参考例句：
She slung barbs at me. 她说了些讥刺我的话。来自《简明英汉词典》 I would no longer uncomplainingly accept their barbs or allow their unaccountable power to go unchallenged. 我不会再毫无怨言地洗耳恭听他们带刺的话，或让他们的不负责任的权力不受到挑战。来自辞典例句

8 penetration
n.穿透，穿人，渗透
参考例句：
He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。 Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。

9 adhesives
黏合剂( adhesive的名词复数 )
参考例句：
These include dyes, adhesives, solvents, detergents, metals, and other foreign materials. 其中包括染料，粘合剂，溶剂，洗涤剂、金属等外界物质。 Preparation, properties and kinds of polyurethane adhesives were described. 综述了聚氨酯胶粘剂的合成、特性和种类。